


Rough Winds

by Kit_SummerIsle



Series: War Brides [6]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Barbarian!AU, M/M, Minor Character Death, Sticky, Threesome, Violence, dub-con, spark-merge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-07-15 15:04:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7227280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kit_SummerIsle/pseuds/Kit_SummerIsle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Vosnians. Seekers. Winged Demons. Screaming Ones. Nomech in Iacon knew where those names came from, but they all knew which nomad tribe bore them. What did they seek in the endless desolation of the desert? Noone knew. Where was the legendary Vos, with the fabled towers that were supposed to be taller than any building in any other city and why did they left it? Again, noone knew. Why could they fly when all other mechs in tribes or cities were grounders? It was a mystery. Why would they… well, the last one they all knew. The war cries of this strange tribe was known and feared all over Cybertron, that shrill, ululating screech that was almost a weapon in itself, deafening audials and confusing processors in battle…</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Mate

**Author's Note:**

> The idea came from [ntldr's](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ntldr/pseuds/ntldr) [Iacon Prophecy](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7033102/chapters/16002475), where I was delighted to read about a Barbarian!Starscream, screaming like a banshee... and I decided to write more about him. So here he is, shrieking and screaming himself into a story in my Barbarian!AU - or rather it is not exactly like my AU, because Seekers here are also a barbarian tribe, not city-mechs and only they can fly noone else. But it will be made clear in the fic, which is not supposed to be long - just two chapters.

The shriek sounded again, echoing and reverberating among the rocky outcroppings that surrounded them and Skywarp moved. Purple mist swirled in his wake, the air rushing to fill the space he left behind him with _vooooip_ sound and he appeared in the midst of surprised tribesmecha, behind the hastily thrown up defences, scattering smaller grounders as he danced and shrieked and laughed alternately, claws slashing, weapons blazing, pedes kicking them aside, making short work of the tribe’s defenses. In the midst of chaotic shouting and shrieking winged forms swooped down from above and picked out the grounders with ease, ending their pitiful existence quickly and decisively. Swirling smoke mixed into the dawn mist and the red flames of explosions lit it up here and there.

Things dotted the energon-drenched ground, many of them are unmoving forms of the grounder nomads and Skywarp laughed again as he slashed down an unfortunate mech in his way, trying to see through the mist and find the loot. Starscream would be happy if he found him toys and tools to play with. As much as the mech got happy anyhow while he couldn’t challenge the Airlord, lacking a full trine. Skywarp listened briefly and heard his mate’s unmistakable shriek from somewhere above and smirked to himself. Starscream’s voice was a weapon in itself even among Seekers, who were famous for their shrill war cries and he led the tribe’s warriors by his skills.

Another, shrill sound echoed among the din and Skywarp lifted his helm and stopped laughing. That was not a war-cry. He dimly saw the back of a tall grounder just ahead of him, half hiding behind an overturned wagon, shooting from a mean-looking weapon, intently staring upwards into the smoke. He took another shot before Skywarp could move and tear the blaster from his servos… and he saw a winged form hitting the ground just ahead in a plume of dust and debris. Slagging snipers! Skywarp’s sharp claws tore into energon lines and the grounder, surprised by the attack from behind could not even utter a pained shout before he was dead. The Seeker jumped over the fallen frame and beside the downed mech. 

The purple-black jet wasn’t grey yet, but energon spurted out fast from a main line and Skywarp knew he wouldn’t last long. _Where was his trine?_

A dark blue frame staggered through the smoke and fell to his knee-joints by the dying flier. 

“Storm’…!”

Only gurgling sounds answered him and the purple wings flapped weakly once more, beating on the ground before going still. 

“Nooooo!!!”

“He’s gone, Thunder. Where’s Typhoon?” Skywarp answered to the distraught jet cautiously. Mecha loosing their trinemate often went crazy and dangerous and Thundercracker was heavier, stronger than him. 

“G-gone…”

That was bad. A Seeker could survive the loss of one mate with the support of the other, but two? Unheard of. It was a miracle Thundercracker was sane enough still to speak and answer him, but he was sure to fall when Stormcrasher bled out and they would loose a full trine. Way too much loss for the pitifully small tribe with hardly any useful loot. 

_::Star! Typhoon is gone and Storm’ is going too!::_

_::Slaggitall! Where’s Thundercracker?::_

_::Right here. He can’t survive it… can he?::_ Skywarp kind of liked the older Seeker, who belonged to another trine, but acted almost like a caretaker for the impulsive warper youngling when the he lost his own creator trine… much the same way Thundercracker was loosing his own right now.

_::Where is ‘here’, Warp? He can’t, normally… but…::_

_::But?::_

_::You like him well enough, right?::_

_::Yeah, I do. But why?::_

Starscream landed hard beside them in a plume of dust and answered him aloud. On the ground, the purple bled out from the still frame and Thundercracker gasped, servos clawing into his cockpit, wings flaring painfully high.

“Because together we can keep him this side of the Well.”

Skywarp stared into Starscream’s red optics and turned towards the blue Seeker. He did not think of taking Thundercracker for the trine, but Star was right… it could save him. Or… draw them down, but Skywarp rather doubted that anything or anymech could drag Starscream down. Certainly not without kicking and screaming. A lot of screaming. He did not get his designation accidentally. 

“Yeah…”

“Come on, then. He won’t like it.”

They converged on the gasping blue Seeker who was writhing on the ground, the broken sparkbonds causing him unimaginable pain. Starscream yanked his arms away from his chest, where he had already clawed through his cockpit and with Skywarp’s help they put the writhing frame on his back and flailing limbs held fast.

“Thundercracker!”

Starscream’s shriek was shrill enough to make even a dying mech stop and pause in his way to the Well. Skywarp was used to dampen his audials around his trine-leader and continued to restrain the blue mech’s weakening struggles. Around them the smoke still swirled, effectively separating them from the others in the tribe and giving the barest measure of privacy.

“L-l-leave… m-me…!”

“No! Listen!” Starscream shook Thundercracker roughly and shrieked straight into his faceplates “I’m taking you for my Trine!”

“N-n-noooo!”

“YES!”

“Thunder, Thunder, please…” Skywarp tried to shout louder than Starscream, an impossible task but he gave his all. “Stay with us!”

Wild, unfocused optics snapped to his face and Skywarp smiled nervously, holding onto a blue servo. Starscream miraculously stayed silent for a klik and Thundercracker, after an eternally long klik dipped his chin slightly.

Starscream wasted no time after that, not that they had any. Thundercracker’s strange compliance was a sign that he was weakening – the mech was usually almost as headstrong than Starscream only in his own, quiet way – and Starscream’s claws tore away the damaged cockpit and urged the chestplates too to reveal his weakening spark. Thundercracker groaned in added pain, since Starscream was none too gentle with it, but he didn’t protest any more. Skywarp was also yanked close and his trine-leader hissed into his audial.

“Keep him with us!”

The warper hurriedly parted his chestplates too. It was highly unusual and probably against every tradition to complete a trine-merge on the ground, in a battlefield… but there was no way they could take Thundercracker to the skies… wait a klik, _*he*_ could do it! Skywarp hugged Starscream and the limp blue frame under them close and prayed he had enough in his tanks for this move. A loud, crackling _vooip_ sounded and they were out of the smoke, out of the din of the battlefield, free of the energon-drenched ground and into clean, clear air…

“What the frag…?”

… and falling. Well, maybe he did not think it all through and Starscream’s shriek was just as loud in the bond as outside it. The merge has already started and Skywarp was drawn into it, into the shared consciousness that he was used to, that was Starscream’s spark touching his… and which now contained a third presence, a weak, flailing, pained and uneasy one. Someone in the merge had the coherence to ignite their thrusters to at least slow the freefall before they crashed into a glorious fireball that would end them as… trine?

Thundercracker’s pained, aching spark was instinctly drawn to theirs, into the soothing bond that promised to fill the gaps, the bleeding wounds that were left by his former mates’ deactivation. Starscream took over the merge as was his right – trine-leader and bossy as the Pit, the tricoloured Seeker was a natural leader. He molded them to him, his will bent theirs and his spark dominated them both. Skywarp submitted as usual and he had no problem with it – but he felt a faint, weak protest from Thundercracker, who was also dominant, but right now he could not fight off the strong-willed Starscream.

The merge surged and with it their sparks and Skywarp released his shrill cry into the air as overload took him fast and furious. Thundercracker’s deeper roar followed him and then Starscream’s high notes: their shouts merged and swirled and followed them as they sank fast towards the ground, almost, but not quite crashing to the place where they started off. Well. That went… well, by Skywarp’s standards. They would have fun later breaking TC in properly. 

Skywarp hoped that Starscream would not challenge Steel Wings and his trine before they could have some of that fun. He could use some energon and rest and TC was not recovered fully by any means.


	2. New Leader

Starscream grabbed a servoful of Skywarp’s wing and dragged him upwards, despite of the warper’s muffled protest. Thundercracker appeared to be out, but purple servos still held onto him and his chestplates were at least closed now. The smoke was clearing away and he saw more winged shapes around, picking the loot, energon and parts from the unfortunate tribe that they had vanquished and he had other concerns too than finally getting a third trinemate. Starscream growled at one who came too close and yanked the canister of energon the other had held, from his servos, passing it to Skywarp. 

“Ramjet!” 

The darker flier turned and scowled at Starscream, earning lightning-quick claws slashing at his wing. He only lowered them slightly after the stinging mark registered.

“What?”

“Where’s Steel Wing?”

“The Airlord? Where he should be. In the air.” Unspoken was his sentiment – _where you should be, Wing Commander._

“I had matters to attend to.” Starscream waved towards the still dazed and limp Thundercracker and Ramjet’s optics widened as he took in Skywarp supporting the dark blue jet instead of his trinemates… his former trinemates.

“He’s…”

“Stormcrasher and Typhoon was shot down. A sniper that Skywarp took care of.”

“Slag.”

Starscream privately agreed with the sentiment, though he did not say so. He had Thundercracker in his sights for quite some time, ever since the blue jet had proved that he could handle Skywarp, but he couldn’t take him from a bonded trine, not without the whole tribe coming down on his wings for breaking traditions. But even a blind Seeker could see that Thundercracker was not happy being a Third in Storm’s trine. He had been taken a long time ago and got used to it – but not happy in the third wing’s role. Wing-second would be a step forward to him and he did have a rapport with Skywarp, rare as that was with the chaotic warper.

Skywarp finished the energon and Thundercracker looked marginally better, so Starscream waved them to move to position by his sides as he launched to the air. Skywarp was beside him straight away with the blue Seeker in tow but glowering at his trine-leader as rough winds buffeted them on their way up.

_::slag it, Warp, he can fly!::_

_::He can, but barely. Stuff it Screamer, he just lost his trine.::_

_::If he’s strong enough, he’ll survive.::_

_::I… will…::_

Of course… the bond put him into their trine comms too. 

_::I know. But you must show it or Steel Wings will cull you gladly from my trine::_

_::He can’t!::_ Skywarp nearly shouted in the trine channel. He was younger and hasn’t seen everything yet.

_::He most definitely can. Lone survivors rarely strong enough and the Airlord has the right to cast out a flier who endangers the tribe::_

_::Starscream is right. I won’t show… weakness.::_

They rose quickly to the skies where most of the tribe flew or floated around the focal point – Steel Wings and his trine. Starscream cut through the complicated dance in the turbulent winds as was his right and took his position near the Airlord. Maybe a bit too close, for he was turning on him in a breem, the sneering voice cutting like steel.

“Starscream! Glad to have you back in the air! Have you rested enough on the ground?”

Starscream snarled straight back at the insult. 

“I have fought a battle against a grounder tribe, oh great, mighty Airlord! My Wings needed to land to pick the loot for you and all the lazy, floating-for-nothing sycophants you call a Trine!”

“Insolent brat!” Steel Wings was so mad his turbines sputtered in outrage, causing him to lose altitude.

“Oh, sorry, you can’t even stay in the air, Mighty Airlord?”

Starscream had a split nanoklik warning before the steel grey form came at him from below, the larger and heavier flier throwing him into a spin. Their frames slid on each other with an audial-hurting screech and Starscream’s pearly white now sported an ugly gray streak.

“Mind your words, Screamer, or I will break your wings!”

“Ohh, I am so afraid… petrified!”

Skywarp cackled as he followed his mad trine leader through a series of complicated maneuvers, Thundercracker groaning a little as he gamely kept up with them. The tribe swirled and floated around them, some clearly rooting for the young, up and coming tricoloured Seeker, some flying to the Airlord’s side… but all watching the ongoing conflict with eager optics and loud hisses, boos, screeches and whoops. A change in leadership – whether it was the Airlord or a wing commander falling from the skies – would be opportunity to advance in rank for many.

“You should be, brat!”

Titanium was the largest of the tribe and the strongest too. When he swooped down on someone they have all felt it. Starscream knew that he couldn’t hope to fight his strength and tried to roll away from the huge frame. He was fast, the fastest Seeker, but still he couldn’t have made it if not for an unexpected sonic boom that shook him, surprised Skywarp – but positively rocked the large frame of Titanium. Starscream shot out from his path and pulsed gratitude to his newest trine-mate in the bond. Behind them Skywarp whooped as he strafed the Airlord’s third, Windswept and laughed at his enraged shrieks.

“That’s enough! You went too far, Starscream!”

Starscream has rolled to narrowly avoid the missile coming at him and screeched loud. Thundercracker was by his right wing at once and Skywarp turned up in a klik too, both giving voice to their anger loudly. A missile was serious business, not disciplining somemech. But then, Starscream has only waited for a provocation like this…

“I, Starscream challenge you now, Airlord!”

“I, Steel Wings accept! You and your trine will fall dead before the sun sets!”

The noises of the onlookers around has increased in volume. Were there any grounders below aside from the slaughtered caravan, it would have heard the very skies screech and shout, dust haze hiding the fliers but letting their unholy noises come through… but there wasn’t anymech listening to the cacophony in midair.

Steel Wings came at them straight away, trusting his and his second’s mass to scatter the smaller trine so his third could pick them out one by one – a tactic that earned him the title and power and kept him there for many vorns and would have been effective against Starscream even just an orn ago. But he had Thundercracker now, the blue flier still not fully recovered, but understanding his role instinctly. The sonic boom caught the larger Seekers by surprise again and Starscream could fly up and away, getting behind them with Skywarp and peppering them with shots. 

The onlookers scattered from their paths and the stray shots lighting up the skies, reforming the ranks behind them and cheered-booed-shouted at the combatants. Clouds were torn in the two trines’ wake, contrails drew an impossible pattern on blue canvas as speed fought against mass, determined youth against sly experience, mad improvisation against solid reasoning. But Steel Wings relied too much on his trine’s superiority and for too long. Starscream during the vorns learned to anticipate his moves and with his speed, with Thundercracker’s cool helm and sonic booms and with Skywarp’s unpredictable warping he could counter it.

Windswept was the first to fall, torn wing hanging by wires and small flames licking his torso, his screams audible till he hit the unseen ground. He very nearly took Thundercracker with him, but Skywarp saved him from the explosion with his handy namesake talent. Steel Wings was roaring his anger and loss to the sky and attacked Starscream madly, forgetting all strategy, wanting to tear out the spark of the one costing him a trinemate. It all but sealed their fate. Starscream kept his processor and went after the larger flier relentlessly, turning his mad, uncoordinated attack into a chase that he was winning – while Skywarp and Thundercracker kept the still dangerous Titanium in bay. 

They only had to contain him while Starscream finished off Steel Wings – the backlash from the broken bonds would down even the largest Seeker in existence and there was no way any others would take him into their bond. Not only the largest, but the most obnoxious, very few of the flying tribe liked him. He was feared and respected, but that would not help him now.

Steel Wings was slowing, his turns and rolls sloppy as pain and exhaustion ate away his concentration and strength. Starscream was on his tailfins relentlessly, each turn just a bit closer, each shot carving a new wound in silver-gray armour… and he was screeching now in exultation, living up to his designation and drawing energon from his prey. Then the time came when the larger flier was just a bit too slow and Starscream transformed mid-air, grabbed a tailfin and tore it off. Steel Wing’s screams echoed far in the clear sky and Titanium’s deeper roar answered him from far, too far to be of help.

Even the onlookers hissed in mock sympathy as the pair – a grey one and a tricoloured on top of him spiralled slowly towards the ground. A random turbine occasionally spewed fire, a wing twitched to catch air and slow the fall… but Starscream didn’t let the grey frame go despite of the danger. Bits and pieces fell as he tore into Steel Wings, bare claws picking him apart, mangling his wings, slashing open his frame and tearing out energon lines. Screams gurgled into pained groans while his screeching acquired a victorious edge. Finally, close to the ground and to a fiery death, Starscream tore the spark chamber out and yelled exulted, kicked himself off, away the fast-greying, limp frame and with a roar of his thrusters swooped back up in the sky. 

By the time he reached the tribe another pained bellow joined to the one now silenced by the crash and his trine-mates joined by his wings, a bit torn, Thundercracker wobbling with the effort to stay in the air, but alive. The tribe celebrated their win with a cacophonic noise of clasps, shouts and yelling and a lot of high-grade passed around. There would be a celebration and as usual quite a few crashing to the ground in drunken stupor. They might do better to fly towards the jagged tops of mountain cliffs, the only grounds acceptable for true Seekers to roost on. 

Starscream was the Airlord.


End file.
